Drop door



S, -A. WILDE April 7, 1931.

DROP DOOR Filed sept. 6, 1929 2 SheOtsfSheet l S, A. WILDE v April 7, 1931;

DROP DOOR Filed sept. 6.' 1929 m .JT UM WV... wf... TAR n .W l||1| Ul 1W M f 4.

spective jambs for the two trunnions. These sockets into which the trunnions project, and within which the trunnions are adapted to turn, are closed on all sides excepting on their interior or rear sides where the Sockets are left open. The relative disposition of the trunnions on the door is, also, preferably such that when the trunnions are properly contained within their respective sockets they Will extend outwardly into thel channels 6, 6 of the side plates of the casing, with 'are out away to receive the respective trunnions. In fact, the edgings 9, 9 are cut away below the sockets for the trunnions,'down to a point substantially flush with the top edge of the bottomplate 5 ofthe casing, and 'in an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the door, for it is by passing the` door through the openings 13 thus provided by the cut away portions of the edging 9, 9, that the door may be hung upon the casing with the trunnions fitting in their respective sockets. The hanging of the dooris'efected as follows: It will be assumed that the handle 2 of the door has been removed. The do-or is then passed through'the doorway so as to lie on the interior side thereof. The door is then turned into a horizontal position with the bottomside up and the top edge of the door, or the edge then facing the interior of the casing, is passed through the opening 13 provided by the cut away portions in j amb edgings 9, 9, until the trunnions draw into their respective sockets.

' With the trunnions on the door thus socketed the door will become pivotally mounted, assuming that some means is provided for preventing the trunnions moving out of the open, `rear sides of their respective sockets which are left open to permit ofthe trunnions being moved into the sockets'when the door is applied or hungas just explained. The displacement ,of the trunnions through the open inner sides of their sockets would occur only when the .door was opened. When the door is in a closed position bearing against the edging's projecting from the jambs and top plate of the casing, the trunnions will ybe held in place within their res ective sock- -when the door is opened that portion of the door lying above its trunnions will'move outwardly and downwardly, while that portion of the door lying below its trunnions will move inwardly and upwardly. -Fastened to as shown in Fig; 6.

.which surface has substantially the same curvature as that of the arc described by the bottom edge of the door when the door is opened, and the arrangement of the guard is also such that the bottom edge of the door, as the door is opened, will preferably have bearing against the curved surface 16 0f the guard during the opening ofthe door. Thus the guard, providing as it does a bearing for the bottom edge of the door, will operate to Vhold the trunnions within their respective sockets during the opening of the door. The guard 15 is preferably fastened to the bottom plate 5 of the casing in manner not to deface the outside surface of the plate. 'l`o this end the bottom plate is provided on its interior side with raised protuberances or bosses 17 which are internally threaded. The guard is provided with ears 18 having openings in them by which the ears will fit over the respective bosses. Fastening into the bosses are screws 19' and between the heads of these screws and the ears on the guard are washers 2O which on the tightening of the screws will bind against the ears, thereby securely fastening the guard to the bottom plate. l

With the parts thus far provided the door -might well function as a drop door forcer- "tain purposes, but no means has yet been proavoided as the face of the door will soon become disligured.

Reference will now be made to the way in which the door is made spring controlled, and tothe wayin which stops are provided for holding the door in open position and which are so arranged that no enamelled or finished part of the door will engage the stops.

First in relation to the spring control: The end portions of the respective trunnions, or those portions Which lie within the inside channels 6, 6 on the side plates 4:, 4, bear cams 22. These cams when the door is closed occupy a downturned position substantially as shown in Fig. 7, and when the door .is full open will turn by the turning of the trunnions to occupy a position substantially Arranged to have en- :megane ga'gement `With these cams on .the trunni'ons` =are-sp111n1g falrms 323. tThese w.alims are :ar-` ranged Yto he 'nuthin the 1in-side channels 56, '.6

:on the side plates, the arms being 'fastened to the side jplaftes fait points `Well :above fthe l'earns yand trunnions -to which the cams are secured. .From :the fpoints .of their fastening the farms extend downward to fembrazoe and 'have bearing against the Ycalns,1the. cams, 1in 'other Words, having :bearing engagement 'fw-ith .fthe 'interior-surface Aon the bottoni end portions of the respective spring yarms.

side platesthe spring Karms are preferably itastenedtoltheniin the sanienianner that the kof the-casing, -to which fend the side plates on the ii'fnside are provided with iraised lproitufberanees :or bosses '25 internally threaded.

The 'u ser ends ofthe is rinOa-rinsare arranged lto bear against the vbottom voiftlie l'Channels Wit-hin "which the :farms .are con- Stained, `and are rprovided* 'with openings :in fthe-m tting over the "respeC-ltive'bosses. aorews Q6 fasten =in`to the @respective `Abosses Aand Washers T27 are interposed to lie rrbetween the heads of ythe screws and'fthe arms, and Von the 'tightening oit fthesorews #the Washers'Willbindfagainst the arms thereby securely asten'ing`- them to ,the yside vWalls lof :the f'casing. The relation'lo'f 'the spring :armsto fthe respective cams ofnfthe trunnio-ns,

while thefdoori-s occupying ai' Closed lpos'ition, is preferably isuoli that fthe. larms 'will be slightly distorted yse that the tension xo't' vthe Vlarms,operating[through 1x,the respective cams fand trunnions, fw'ilgl v'operate to hdldthe door :in arolosed position; Therelationlolthe earns y'-toithe sur-faces lfon thesprling farm-s against which theyhaye bearing iisg also, preterably "such that ith-e spring arins Will 'not lbeooine greatly distortecl so as "to "impart 'any [Cionsiderable fitensional resistance 4until 4,the door has been brought to, about a fullvopen position fand 4the 'cams lmoi-fed to apfproah a posiftion =s1ibstantially-as sli'oWn-in Fig. '6.' At

4suoli timesfthevcalnswill operate to ,rather Vforcibly distort the 'spring arms" which ao'- ,eord'inglfywill operateto bring the )doorwhe'nfopentofan'easystop. Y n Apart from ithe funGtion-oispring `control v Y '.feiieeted 'by the springv amine as just described, *fthese arrnsip'eriform another useful function aby their bearing lagainst the'canis on 4the -respeotiye ftrunnions, namelyy-they operate to Fho'l'd @the tvunnions 2in1their'respeetiwe soo-kets -so that the itrunnions l cannot nieve out of fthe open inne'r sides .of their soolrets asl-'the fd'eor is opened..` As 'previously'-fexplained-,the

` guard 15 performs a similar l"tun'et-ii, 'hilt With the 'spring :arms thus 'preyenting die placement :of the trunnions fthe use et? ithe guard'ffor ysuch ipurposeiis no 'longer ynecessary zand, accordingly, /When the spring Balans fare employed the preferredv arrangement issuch 'full open .posiftion;

that-ithegnard lviwillbe'soaxrranged thatfthe bottom :edgeioft the door fwri'll not 'have 'con-- titafct with it as :thedoor Vxi-sopened. The -guard the insides :of :the spring larms WitlrWhioh :the foams onthe trunnifons hayefengagemen-t when :the doorhas beeninoved to a ufll open position.. vfDhe stops .thus providedare .faugmented :by vanother set :of stops for Zholding :the :door when in fuililvopenrposition- As Was before expflaine d, when the door is1 opened that portion of the door @lying beloys7 ltsntrninnions Will turn inwardlyr andv upwardly. l

Projecting :laterally vfrom theiower :ends of ithe respective :spring-arms :areofsets B11,

and loc-at'edon theseloifsetsfarestopsSQ which lie Withinzthe f-path descrlibedby 4that)portion 'of the door lying belowits trunnions, the arrangement beingsueh that Lthe kinner face `oi? said portion :of `the door 1Will be brought'into Y'en-gagement with these stops {i2-on thearln y olisets when the'fdoorhas been turned Ito a l The'two sets-of stops thus provided notk only relieveone Ianother of Sthe stra-inthat Wouldyoorne Aupon any-lone set,` butV lredooce ito a minimum thedanger of fthe outer ifaoe 'ofthe door evier contacting Y with the top surface of fthe bottom'r plate of l3l-'00 the casing, which would happen in voase that V.all of :the insidekstops were'elirninafted;` a

dangertha't could hardly-occur.

in the hanging of ith-e )door and 'the assent bling :of vits various `r`parts Athe door `vis'riirst `"bung With trunnifons isooketed' in `ith/e *jambsrof .the.oasing, as explained above, bel

fore .the l'handle of :the door yhas been applied fito `itban'd beforethe,-apploationfof the guard n ,l5-to the bottom plate sottheioasing. Afterfi" Wards .these parts are 'fastened Ain their `proper places together WiththesprMg arms?.

rio

Insteadofplacing-the offsets B1 whi'eh bear i l.the stops'SQ-.on t'hee'nds-of thespring arno-s, these stop bearin-golsets may beplaced on :the opposite ends ofthe guard 15 asshown in Fig. l8, and Athis Vibysiinplyextending the l ends of 'the guard.'

Having thus' fully described any 4invention, .I Claim and desire to seourejby Letters Pat- :ent of -the United States ree il. naadrop'doorfassembly Which-includes *i .a basing having a doorwayv in it,' andv adoor 'having 'tr-unni-ons pivota'lly far-ranged? tov turn up'onithe jarnbsofgthe casing,said ftruannions T25 extending romthe opposite sides of the door above the bottom edge thereof whereby' that portionlof the door lying below `itsftrunnions "'Wilil swing inwardly andupwardly as the v door is outwardly opened,said jambe ofthe '139 s v casing being provided with sockets for receiving sai trunnions, which sockets are open on the interior sides thereof whereby the trunnions may beinserted into said sockets vfrom the interior side of they casing on passing the door outwardly through the doorway from the interior side of the casing, and means for preventing withdrawal of the trunnions from their respective sockets during the opening and closure of the door compris ing a guard on the interior-side of the casing `forward of that bottom portion of the door lying below its trunnions when the door is ina closed position, said guard being arrangedwhereby `said bottom portion of the door, lying below its trunnions as aforesaid, will engage the guard during the opening and closure of the door vbefore the trunnions on the door have moved out of their respective sockets.

2. In a drop door assembly which includes a casing having a doorway in it, and a door having trunnions pivotally arranged to turn upon the jambsv of the casing, cams borne by said trunnions, spring arms fastened to the side walls ofthe casing and locatedv on the interior thereof vwith extension to have engagement with said cams, and stops borne by said arms and arranged in the paths of said cams to be engaged thereby when the door is opened.v y

3. In a drop door assembly which includes a casing having adoorway in it, and door having trunnions pivotally arranged to turn upon the jamhs of the casing, said trunnions extending from the opposite sides of the door above the bottom edge thereof whereby that portion of the door lying below its trunnions will swing inwardly and upwardly as the door is outwardly opened, cams borne by said trunnions, spring arms fastened to the side walls of the casing and located on the interior thereof with extension to havey engagement with said cams, and stops arranged'in the path of said portion of the door lying below itsl trunnions to be engaged thereby when the door is opened.

4. In a dropdoor assembly which includes a casing having a doorway in it, and a door having trunnions pivotally arranged to turn upon the jambs of the casing, said trunnions extending from the opposite sides of the door above the bottom edge'thereof whereby that portion of the door lying below its trunnions will swing inwardly and upwardly as the door is outwardly opened, said jambs of the casing being provided with sockets for receiving said trunnions, which sockets are open on the interior sides thereof whereby the trunnionsinay be inserted into said sockcts from the interior side of the casing on passing the door outwardly through the doorway from the interior side of the casing, a guard fixed to said casing onthe interior side `thereof and presenting a surface lying just forward of the plane traversed by the bottom edge of the door when the door is opened,

`cams borne by said trunnions, spring arms low its trunnions to be engaged thereby when the door is opened. s

5. In a drop door assembly which includes a casing having a doorway in it, and a door having trunnions pivotally arranged to turn upon the jambs of the casing, said trunnions extending from the opposite sides of the door above the bottom edge thereof whereby that portion'of the door lying below its trunnions will swing inwardly and upwardly as the door is outwardly opened, said jambs of the casing being provided with sockets for receiving said trunnions, which sockets are open on th-e interior sides thereof whereby the trunnions may be inserted into said sockets from theinterior side of the casing on passing the door outwardly through the doorway from the interior side of the casing, means for preventing withdrawal of th-e trunnions from their respective sockets during the opening and closure of the door comprising a guarden the interior side of the casing forward of that bottom portion of the door lying below its trunnions when the door is in a closed position, said guard being arranged whereby said bottom portion of th-e door, lyingvbelow its trunnions as aforesaid,

vwill engage the guard during the opening and closure of the door before the trunnions on the door have moved out' of their respectivel sockets, and means for tensionally holding the trunnions in their respective sockets and for frictionally impeding the opening of the door.

6. In a drop door assembly which includes a casing having a doorway in it, and a door having trunnions pivotally arranged to turn upon the jambs of the casing, said trunnions extending fromr the opposite sides of the door above the bottom edge thereof whereby that portion of the door lying below its trunnions willV swing inwardly and upwardly as the door is outwardly opened, said janibs of the casing being provided with sockets for receiving said trunnions, which sockets are open on the interior sides thereof whereby the trunnions maybe inserted into said sockets from the interior side of th-e casing on passing the door outwardly through the doorway from the interior side of the casing, means for preventing withdrawal of the trunnions from their respective sockets during the opening and closure of the door comprising a guard on the interior side of the casing forward of that bottom'portion of ist the door lying below its trnnnions when the door is in a closed position, said guard being arranged whereby said bottom portion of the door, lying below its trunnions as aforesaid will engage the guard during the opening and closure of the door before the trunnions on the door have moved out of their respective sockets, means for tensionallyholding the trunnions in their respective sockets and for rict'onally impeding the opening of the door, and a stop on said guard arranged in the path of said portion of the door lying below its trunnions to be engaged thereby when the door is opened.

SAMUEL A. kWILDE. 

